THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



the other colours they will be up with us, 

 though we do not see some of the best of the 

 other colours, notably Miss Cottle's and the 

 Montreal blacks. 



DISTRICT NO. 5. 



California is a district by itself, which can 

 never be in active touch with the east, and the 

 future cat of California may probably be the 

 Siamese, for the demand for them is growing 

 everyday, and the climate favours them. Cali- 

 fornia is too warm to coat the long-hairs, and 

 the vermin are too promiscuous in most parts to 

 make the rearing or caring for the long-hairs a 

 pleasant occupation. Mrs. C. H. Hoag and 

 Mrs. C. E. Martling have been two of the most 

 energetic in promoting the cat as a fancy in 

 California, and several shows have been held, 

 but at present in the language of the slang 

 " there is not much doing," except in Siamese ; 

 so that in taking a look over the past from a 

 high point and looking down, we cannot say 

 that up to now we can point to many families 

 or strains that have yet made their mark in 

 America ; that is, a mark that is very con- 

 spicuous, for there has not been time. 

 But still there are signs of strains that will 

 be matters of history, and there are families 

 that may be called distinctive, because the 

 descendants win under different judges with 

 sufficient regularity to make this noticeable. 



Some of these I have sketched in my other 

 notes ; but probably the most far-reaching 

 of the families that win in all colours is the 

 " Humbert " strain, which emanates from 

 Mrs. Barker's " King Humbert," imported 

 in 1895. Not only did this cat sire a lot 

 of winners himself, but cats with the " Hum- 

 bert " blood to the third and fourth gen- 

 eration, such as " Prince of Orange," etc., 

 are still winning all over the country. Judg- 

 ing by present appearances, the " King of 

 the Silvers " family, coupled with his sire 

 " Bitterne Silver Chieftain," is forging to the 

 front, and is marking out a path of its own 

 as regards winnings in public. One cat 

 " The Blessed Damozel," bred by Mrs. Barker 

 in England, and by " Champion Lord South- 



ampton " ex " Peggy," by " Champion Silver 

 Mist," is making a big reputation through 

 her children, and the second generation is 

 now beginning to win as did the first. This 

 blood is very successful wherever found, and 

 this is, no doubt, largely owing to the kittens 

 by " King of the Silvers," though " The Pas- 

 sionate Pilgrim," who goes back through his 

 sire to " Whychwood," is as good as anything 

 Mrs. Barker has yet produced ; and this is 

 saying a good deal, for she has bred a great 

 many winners in many colours, and the effect 

 of cats imported or bred by her is seen at 

 every show we go to, and the ramifications 

 of blood lines spread over America would 

 make a book in itself. 



The very best cats from England will win 

 here every time they are shown in good trim, 

 and in picking cats for best in show the greater 

 part of the prizes go to English cats, or to 

 cats bred from English parents. The crossing 

 of the natives with the English is very suc- 

 cessful in some cases, and, no doubt, the 

 changes of blood will in the future work to 

 the good of the majority, for in size, shape, 

 and coat many of the American cats are very 

 good, but fail in type and quality. 



The cat fever in its present form may be said 

 to be so comparatively new as an industry 

 that it has not been easy to give a comprehen- 

 sive view of the whole. Some exhibitors have 

 come up suddenly, and after seeming to have 

 carried all before them have disappeared as 

 suddenly as they came, while others have kept 

 on right through, though these are few by 

 comparison with the great possibilities. We are 

 now passing through the early days of organisa- 

 tion, and the future is not always too clear ; 

 but, still, I have tried to give the most pro- 

 minence to those who have braved the light 

 of day and have supported the shows, and 

 this, really, is the only practical test of where 

 we any of us stand. If I were to enumerate 

 all I have heard of, and the many people who 

 are interested in, the cat in America, there 

 is no doubt but that a good deal more space 

 than I have at my command would be used 

 two or three times over ; and such is the size 



